Duke vs. N.C. Central Game Notes• Duke kicks off its 101st season of football by hosting N.C. Central in the Bull City Gridiron Classic on Saturday, August 31 at 4 p.m. ... The game will be broadcast live by ESPN3 with John Sadak (play-by-play), Al Groh (analyst) & Jeff Taylor (sideline) calling the action

• The Blue Devils posted a 6-7 overall record in 2012 and appeared in the program’s first bowl game since 1994 ... Duke received a bid to the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., where the Blue Devils suffered a 48-34 loss to Cincinnati on December 27, 2012

• Saturday’s game will mark the third on the gridiron between the two Durham-based schools, with Duke having won the previous two encounters ... The Blue Devils posted victories over the Eagles in both 2009 (49-14) and 2012 (54-17)

• Duke owns an all-time record of 465-490-31 in 100 seasons

• Continental Tire serves as the official game sponsor of this week’s contest ... In addition, Duke will celebrate City of Durham Day at Wallace Wade Stadium

• For the second straight year, Duke & N.C. Central will compete in men’s and women’s cross country races prior to the football game ... The men’s race will begin at 3:45 p.m., starting in the south end zone of Wallace Wade Stadium, and the women’s race will begin 30 seconds later

• Duke head coach David Cutcliffe enters his sixth season at the helm of the Blue Devil gridiron program ... Named the 2012 ACC Coach of the Year, Cutcliffe is 21-40 at Duke and 65-69 overall as a head coach

• The Blue Devils open the 2013 season with 11 seniors on scholarship — two fewer than last year

• A season ago, Duke enjoyed the friendly confines of Wallace Wade Stadium, where the Blue Devils matched the school single-season record for home victories with five ... The school standard of five home wins in a single campaign is shared by the teams of 1930, 1932, 1933, 1943, 1974, 1989, 1994 & 2012

• Duke is 2-1 all-time in games played in August with wins over East Carolina (2002) and James Madison (2008) and a loss to Virginia (2003)

Blue Devils By the Numbers1 — Career start for QB Anthony Boone, who takes over under center for the graduated Sean Renfree ... Boone’s lone starting nod came against Virginia in 2012, and the Weddington, N.C., native responded by throwing for 212 yards and four TDs in a 42-17 victory

465 — All-time wins for the Duke football program in 100 seasons of action

22 & 24 — Pass receptions in the 2011 and 2012 seasons for RB Juwan Thompson, who aims to become the first Duke back to post three seasons with 20+ catches since Chris Douglas in 2000-01-02-03 ... Thompson enters 2013 ranking first among active ACC running backs with 351 receiving yards

5.07 — Yards per rushing attempt average for RB Jela Duncan last year as a true freshman ... Duncan rushed for a team-high 553 yards to become just the ninth rookie to lead Duke in rushing yardage